The worst possible things you can say at work

Getting on with your superiors and co-workers is an important part of your everyday working life. As well as making your job much more enjoyable, it can also factor into whether or not you will be considered for that promotion you have been after.

The only problem is, when you are rushed off your feet and stress levels are high, it can be very easy to say something without thinking it through properly. No matter how fed up you are though, there are certain things you should never say to fellow colleagues if you want to stay on their good side.

“It’s not my job”   

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If you work as part of a team, chances are that at some point you will have been asked to help others out with their workload. Whether you think these tasks are way below your capabilities, a waste of your time or you are simply too busy to take on additional tasks, the worst thing you can do is refuse to help with the argument that’s it’s not part of your job description. The only thing this will do is burn bridges, damage goodwill and breed resentment.

If you are genuinely very busy yourself, explain your commitments and propose another time you may be available to help. If it’s more of a case that you just don’t want to do it, you are going to have to bite the bullet. After all, you never know when the roles will be reversed and you may need help from your colleagues.

Criticise your boss or colleagues

Badmouthing your boss/colleagues or ridiculing their decisions is nothing but bad news. The next time you are gossiping, remember that people tend to find out everything that is said. Assume that whatever you say will eventually get back to them via the network of office gossips and consider whether or not this is something you would say to their face. If you get caught doing this it can permanently damage relationships and chances are that others won’t ever try to help you again. It is unlikely that you will get on with every single person you ever work with but it’s much safer to vent your feelings to someone who has no relation to your job whatsoever.

“You can’t sack me”

Arrogance is not a good quality and it’s unlikely to get you anywhere in the workplace. Ironically, if you think you’re invincible and above everyone else, you are more than likely going to find yourself down the job centre. Just because you were once the number one salesperson or top biller, it doesn’t guarantee that you will have a job indefinitely. There are plenty of employees out there who are great at their job, what is going to give you staying power is a good attitude, hard work and co-operation.

“Can I get access to Facebook?”

More and more employers have banned access to social media sites for a very good reason – they distract staff from the paid work they are supposed to be doing. Unless you are a social media guru, it is highly unlikely that you are being paid to be on the likes and Facebook and Twitter so in reality, this is a fair rule. If you start kicking up a fuss about this, all your boss can assume is that you want to spend your day doing non-work related things and that is unlikely to stand you in good stead.

A few other phrases that don’t come highly recommended when in the office include:

“I’m only here for the money”

“I like to dabble in recreational drugs”

“I can’t be bothered”

“I wasn’t really sick”

“I hate my job”

What do you think is the worst possible thing you can say at work? Let us know your thoughts below or alternatively, tweet your answers to us.